Eclectic Approach is a band built on perseverance. After three self released albums and four years of constant touring, the band was selected at SXSW as the top unsigned band in the U.S. by the Ourstage Panel, which included industry heavyweights Bruce...

Eclectic Approach is a band built on perseverance. After three self released albums and four years of constant touring, the band was selected at SXSW as the top unsigned band in the U.S. by the Ourstage Panel, which included industry heavyweights Bruce Tyler (former VP of Sony and Columbia Music), Scott Igoe (talent booker for Jimmy Kimmel Live), Sharon Dastur (Program Director Z100, New York, NY) and Lee Dannay (Vice President of A&R Warner/Chappell Music). The band was flown to New York City to record an EPK with legendary producer David Hewitt (U2, Aretha Franklin) and Emmy Award winning director Mitchell Stewart. Most recently the band was a musical guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Originally a hip-hop group, EA's music has grown and developed into a blend of electro-funk, dance, pop and garage rock that feels and sounds like a party. "We just love a good party," said singer Jowed Hadeed, "we want people to come to a show and just freak out for a while. It's cathartic for us and them."

The definition of eclectic is, "deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources." For Eclectic Approach, this definition not only serves as a guide for creating music, but also as a philosophy to live by. "It seems like a lot of people now are moving towards a more eclectic way of living… taking what makes sense to them from all over the place. Everyone in this band has their own set of influences, musically and otherwise, and we really work to create an open dialogue with new ideas. It's what has kept the band together for this long and keeps us moving forward" said guitarist Ryan Jander.

Although most people would immediately identify the music as "pop" because of its accessibility, the blend of influences and musical styles completely embraces the name 'eclectic.' Guitarist Justin MacDonald notes that, "the trick is to create something that sounds simple, but has layers and depth when you really listen to it. You can grab someone's attention right off, but with repeated listens they hear all these little subtle nuances that add to the over all effect and really hook the listener."

After their last album, Jump Into Life, Eclectic Approach began to hone their sound in the studio and on stage into a more unified vision. Their newest single, "All That It's Missing (Mind Control)" was released in October of 2012 and demonstrates the evolution of their sound.

The Mint, a Sip of Patron and Eclectic Approach by Crafting a Unique Spin on the Rock-Hip-Hop Sound Allow me to separate the fake from the real, the boys from the men, and the music makers from the musicians.Eclectic pronunciation: e-klek-tik1: Selecting what appears to be best in various...

The Mint, a Sip of Patron and Eclectic Approach by Crafting a Unique Spin on the Rock-Hip-Hop Sound Allow me to separate the fake from the real, the boys from the men, and the music makers from the musicians.
Eclectic pronunciation: e-klek-tik
1: Selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles.
Band members Jowed Hadeed, Ryan Jander, Justin MacDonald, Bennet Pullen and Brian Paxton simply couldn’t have chosen a better suited name for their band. Blending poetic hip-hop infiltrated with rock, Eclectic Approach has discovered a way to serve listeners a unique musical experience, one which undoubtedly bends genres and breaks stereotypes.
I caught up with the Seattle natives at The Mint on Pico Blvd, as they were wrapping up their tour of the West Coast. Immediately commanding the stage at the dimly-lit, intimate venue, Eclectic Approach began their set. Delivering an unexpected showcase of both lead singer Jowed's lyrical talent and the strength of the band's rock core. One might assume they were seasoned vets, rather than up-an-coming artists. After finishing up the tour, the boys got together and allowed me to pick their brains.
How did the group originate?
Justin- Ryan and Jowed began playing music together right out of high school. Brian was a pretty well known drummer in Tri Cities, Washington and Ryan recruited him. Actually just annoyed him until he finally joined. I met Ryan at a house party at college and started jamming with the band not too long after that. Bennet came on board after our last bassist left to join a different band.
Who chose the band's name?
Justin- Ryan chose it after seeing it in a college psychology class. The professor was talking about taking an eclectic approach to psychology, which Ryan felt would be a good way to approach music.
A rock band with a rap flowing lead singer. How and what made you come to the idea of combining two completely different genres?
Justin- The “band” started out as more of a hip-hop group, but Ryan always really liked the sound of a live band, so he started recruiting people to perform live with. The sound more or less formed from the live show performances and turned into more of a rock band.
When did you discover your freestyle talent?
Jowed- I was probably 13 or 14. But it started as more of a love for being spontaneous, especially making up songs for my friends. My brother and I used to do free styles together, and from that I started watching videos and getting into freestyle hip-hop.
Would you say people are more accepting and open to the fact that you mix the two genres or antagonistic to the idea from the jump?
Justin-The vast majority of the time people are into it. However if you were to see a description of our sound on paper, I totally understand people being a little turned off. Hip-hop combined with rock seems like a '90s thing, and most people got so sick of that sound the....